Public Comments on Proposed Rules

Attachment C

Excerpts from some recent letters from the public supporting action on the guidelines:

Jim and Cathy Huckins of Columbia wrote on August 4, 2002:

"As a professional in environmental research for 32 years and an avid stream fisherman, I am very concerned about he water quality and fishery resources in our Missouri streams. I don’t see how the risks to Missouri’s river environments have changed any since the establishment of the Corp of Engineer’s rules for gravel and sand mining…I urge DNR to take a lead role in this committee to ensure that water quality is not compromised in one of Missouri’s greatest treasures, our Ozark streams. My family, friends and a number of conservation groups and clubs will follow what happens very closely. We realize that our rivers and streams must be managed for multiple uses but we cannot allow one use to greatly impact others."

Michael Webb of Jefferson City wrote on August 3, 2002:

"I am an avid outdoorsman and also a concerned citizen. Missouri has many treasures that we must protect and many of these treasures are the streams that hold our many game species of fish that we all love to fish for. …If I were to plan a fishing trip to the Little Piney River today, to the newly designated Wild Trout section of the Little Piney, I would see a new mining operation. I cannot believe that this section, designated only two years ago, has a new mine on it. This is flirting with disaster on such a pristine waterway that holds such a beautiful fish, the wild Rainbow Trout."

Jerry Benson of Lebanon wrote on September 23, 2002:

"I am totally in favor of conserving the quality of Missouri streams and support strict regulations pertaining to the mining of gravel in Missouri or totally disallowing any mining of gravel in our streams in Missouri. I have been an avid floater for 40 years. I have floated most all the streams in the Southern part of Missouri and I have personally seen the destruction that mining can do to our beautiful streams."

Terry Dow of Springfield wrote on September 18, 2002:

"Please do everything possible to, at a bear minimum, keep our current gravel mining regulations enforce and if at all possible strengthened. …If the city of Springfield an it’s residents can spend millions of dollars to help dramatically reduce the level of phosphorus in it’s sewage treatment which in turn flows into Wilson’s Creek, James River and finally into Table Rock Lake, our DNR needs to also step up the plant and do their part. No one should be more well aware than our highly rated, nationally acclaimed Missouri DNR that it is far less expensive and time consuming to correct a situation such as this on the front end, than deal with it at a later dare, for it may very well be too late for a generation or more, of Missouri residents and tourists who care deeply about Missouri rivers, streams and lakes."